Beiruting News

Top 10 London restaurants for tourists to try...as selected by
British Airways' Head Chef Mark Tazzioli and
Food & Beverage Manager Christopher Cole

British Airways' Head Chef Mark Tazzioli and the airline's Food & Beverage Manager Christopher Cole serve up their Top 10 tastiest London restaurants for travellers from Lebanon while visiting London.

The UK capital's restaurant and fine dining scene is vibrant and diverse and attracts top chefs from all over the world. British Airways' customers begin their culinary adventure in the skies with the finest foods and beverages served on board in all cabins from World Traveller to First.

At any one time, more than 250 dishes are on rotation across British Airways' cabins. The airline puts a special emphasis on using local ingredients and creating regional dishes inspired by authentic recipes.

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Mark and Christopher have combined their experience and knowledge to reveal their top 10 restaurants to dine at in the English capital, featuring everything from fine dining to tasty BBQ.

The Ledbury, Notting Hill

There's an Australian chef at the restaurant called Brett Graham who has two Michelin stars. The Ledbury is probably ranked No1 in London right now. They don't advertise but they don't have to, they're fully booked.The food there is very good and if you can secure a table, it's worth going - but it isn't cheap!

www.theledbury.com

Cau, Blackheath, St Kat Dock and Wimbledon

If you like a nice steak, head to Cau - it's the sister brand of the popular Gaucho chain who have several restaurants across London.Their steaks are Argentineand are excellent at a reasonable price. It's fairly new but you'll see Cau hitting the market quite hard in the next year or two. There are 13 dotted across the UK, plus one in Amsterdam, Holland.

www.caurestaurants.com

Cinnamon Club, Westminster

Brick Lane might be the home of curry in London, but for a more sophisticated experience head to Cinnamon Club in Westminster.Chef Vivek Singh is behind the capital's plushest curry house, which sits inside the Grade II listed former Westminster Library.The style of the food is very contemporary and they are renowned for their unique take on game dishes, such as their Tandoori loin of Oisin red deer.

www.cinnamonclub.com

Jason Atherton Social Eating House, Soho

Jason's latest venture is in the Middle East - Marina Social - at the Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Marina. It's fast becoming the place to visit in the Emirate to enjoy a contemporary menu and is worth visiting before sampling his London restaurants.

All of his restaurants in the UK capital are great. I prefer the Social Eating House to his Pollen Street Social.You'll find it in Soho andlike many of the restaurants around there, the exterior is really understated.The food is excellent. It also has a wonderful little bar upstairs called The Blind Pig where you can grab a cocktail before or after your meal.

www.socialeatinghouse.com

Amaya, Mayfair

Another Michelin-starred eatery we love is Amaya - it serves delicious Indian tapas and is well worth a visit.They specialise in grilling using the three traditional Indian styles of Tandoor clay ovens, Sigri coal flames and Tawa searing on a very hot plate.It's the third London eatery from the team behind the Chutney Mary in Chelsea and the West End venue Veeraswamy.

www.amaya.biz

Pitt Cue, Soho

Fans of BBQ should head to this popular BBQ restaurant which started life as a tiny food truck but became so popular it now holds a prime Soho spot.But be prepared to queue because this tiny restaurant doesn't take reservations and only has 30 seats in total.Pitt Cue serve mouth-watering pulled pork and their bone marrow mash is divine. Order it if you can.

www.pittcue.co.uk

The Ivy, West End

Another restaurant that has set up a second home in Dubai! If you're interested in a bit of celebrity spotting alongside your sightseeing in London, The Ivy isn't a bad bet to visit.The restaurant is well-known for its VIP clientele and has a very striking art-deco style.As for the food, its hearty British fare and isn't too posh or pricey.

www.the-ivy.co.uk

Nobu, The Metropolitan Hotel on Park Lane

In Dubai and in London, Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa is renowned for his 'new style' Japanese, which has earned the restaurant a Michelin star. Don't be fooled into thinking it's all raw fish - the restaurant has a separate sushi restaurant within and serves all sorts of hot food, from noodles to lobster pasta.On top of the great food, the restaurant also boasts incredible views out across Hyde Park - one of the Royal Parks of London.

www.noburestaurants.com/london

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, The Mandarin Oriental

Heston Blumenthal is one of Britain's most famous chefs, if not the world, and Dinner is his first London restaurant.As you might expect from the chef who put bacon and egg ice cream on the map,Dinner has an incredibly quirky menu inspired by historic British gastronomy dating back centuries.Among the dishes on the two Michelin star menu keep an eye out for the incredible 'meat fruit', which looks like a mandarin but is actually made from chicken liver parfait.

www.mandarinoriental.com/london/fine-dining/dinner-by-heston-blumenthal

Duck and Waffle, Heron Tower, East London

If you have a head for heights, brave the glass elevator on the outside of the Heron Tower and visit Duck and Waffle on the 40th floor.Executive Chef Daniel Doherty is in charge and has introduced some really creative dishes to the menu, such as Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut.Oh, and don't miss their signature plate: yes, you guessed it...Duck and Waffle.

www.duckandwaffle.com